Mail-box.



L. BALAZINSKI.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1914.

1,1 17,624. Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

WWW 12 J] .Z ouzlLB {HE NORRIS PETERS C0I FHOTO-LITHU., WASHINGTON. D. C.

LOUIS BALAZINSKI, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 191 1.

Application filed May 6, 1914. Serial No. 836,706.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS BALAZINSKI, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at New York, in the county of New YOYK and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in mail boxes.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a mail box with a guarded entrance slot for permitting the ready insertion of mail matter but preventing the entrance of any member into the box for the purpose of an unauthorized extraction of the contents thereof.

A further object is to provide a guard for automatically closing the mail passage within the box whenever the closure for the entrance slot is shifted to its open position.

A still further object is to provide a mail box structure with a guarded entrance slot for preventing a theft of the mail and adapted to deposit the mail matter into the main storage chamber automatically upon a closing of the entrance slot.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device in its closed position. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail front elevation of a portion of the device with the entrance slot opened. Fig. a is a perspective view of the slot closure removed, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the trunnions for the closure.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the box 10 is illustrated preferably formed of sheet metal and provided with a bottom 11 secured in position by the rivets 12,while one of the side walls is provided with an outlet opening 13 for extracting the mail from the box, the said opening having an outwardly swinging door 14: provided with a lock 15.

The top of the box is provided with a forwardly curved top16 terminating short of the upper angularly bent inwardly proecting flange 17 of the front wall 18 and thereby providing the entrance slot 19 between the lower front edge 20 of said curved top and the said flange.

A guard plate 21 is pivoted upon end trunnions 22 mounted in sockets struck outwardly in the opposite end walls 23 of the box, the axial line of said trunnions being slightly above and adjacent the inner free edge 10 of the flange 17, while said trunnions are so positioned upon the plate 21 as to place the greater area and weight of said plate rearwardly of said trunnions and whereby the plate 21 is normally overbalanced for automatically assuming the tilted position shown in Fig. 2, but readily capable of a swinging movement to the dotted line position also therein indicated.

The closure 21 is provided with upwardly and rearwardly extending curved fingers 25 positioned slightly spaced from each end thereof and stub axles 26 outwardly project from said fingers in alinement with each other and project through opposite perforations 27 in the side walls 23 at the overhanging portion 28 of said walls and are imvardly positioned adjacent the front edge of the curved top of the box.

Angle lugs 31 are integral with the opposite outer edges of the ends 23 and project inwardly within the slot 19, thereby slightly reducing the length of said entrance slot and being positioned forwardly of the fingers when the closure is opened as illustrated in Fig. 3, they act as guards to prevent the entering mail matter from contacting with the said fingers.

The closure is provided with a handle 29 for moving the closure upon its pivoting axles, it being noted that the forward edge of the guard plate 21 is at all times engaged on its upper face by the ends of the fingers 25 and whereby the overbalanced inclined normal position of the plate retains the closure 2% normally in a closed position as shown in full lines in Fig. 2.

The complete operation of the device will be apparent from the present description in that, with the closure closed it is only necessary to grasp the handle 29 thereof and elevate the same to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 and which movement swings the guard plate downwardly in fiat engagement with the top of the flange .17 and thus allowing the free insertion of mail matter through the entrance -slot 19 and upon the top of said guard plate, a stop plate 30 being preferably secured to the box top and positioned adjacent the rear edge of the guard plate when in its horizontal position. With the mail 'matter 'so' positioned upon said guard plate, the handle 29 is released andwhereupon the guard' plate automatically tilts rearwardly' depositing the mail within the box a'nd'by reason of the upward swinging movement of its forward edge in engagement with the'curved fingers 25 the closure is automatically shifted for closing the slot 19. It will "thus be seen that the guard plate is in its horizontalposition at all times when the slot 19 isop'en thereby preventing any entrance at *such times to the interior of the box, while all mail matter must first be deposited upon the counter-balanced plate before its admission to the mail receptacle.

While the forms of the invention herein shown and described are whatare believed to be preferable embodiments thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made in the vform, proportion and details of construction without'departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is i i 1. A mail box comprising a front wall having an inwardly projecting horizontal flange, a top curved outward to overhang said flange and forming a mail entrance slotbetween said fiangeand top, a guardlate pivoted within said box adjacent the tree lnne'r'edge of said flange and having its greater Weight rearward of its ivotal point, a closure for said slot, rearwardlyextending curved fingers projecting from said closure and adapted for engagement with the upper .face of said guard plate, pivotal supports projecting from said fingers and journaled inthe opposite sides of saidjbox,and a vertical stop'plate depending from said top adjacent the rear edge of said "plate when said closure is in its open position.

2. A mail box comprising end walls, a front wall having an inwardly projecting horizontal flange, a curved top extending over-said flange to form an entrance slot between said flange and top, lugs projecting from said end walls, into said slot, a closure for said slot trunnioned between the end walls of the box, rearwardly curved fingers projecting from said closure, an over-balanc'ed normally inclined guard-plate pivoted between said end walls adjacent the inner edge of said flange and adapted for flat engagement with the upper side of said "fian'ge whenthe closure is in open position,

and'a vertical stop depending from said top adjacent to the rear edge ofsaid plate.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature inpresen'ce of two witnesses.

"LOUIS BALAZINSKI.

Witnesses:

Louis WAnrsonsKr,

LEO STOMKA.

Copies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

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